Defying Darkness
by Cosy-Little-Crow
Summary: Alexis Rhapsodos has known Sephiroth since she and her Brother, Genesis, were children. When Genesis goes missing, Sephiroth becomes distant, constantly pushing everyone away. Then, he too disappears. After months apart, Alexis tracks Sephiroth down and he agrees to meet up by the shore. What will come of their meeting? This story was inspired by Amielleon's suegen


What was it that brought them together, to be united in this perfect love?

They had known each other since they were children. They had spent time together so often that, despite all differences, others often mistook them as siblings. However, it was not until recently that they had recognized their feelings for each other. From then on, Lexi cared about him with every fiber of her being, but Sephiroth switched from warmth to coldness in a flash, struggling with his inner anguish. But she loved him no matter how many times he pushed her and everyone else away. That was how it was to this very day.

Yes. They often reflected upon that day with fondness. It was a day that had changed life for the both of them, after all.

Lexi, a rebellious young soldier in her best years, stood alone on the beach, gazing over the azure water with her bright mako eyes. Her lightning-white hair danced lightly in the ocean breeze. She tried to keep still despite her impatient excitement, resting her cheek against one hand as she adjusted the slate gray frames of her glasses.

The sun glinted off of her newly tanned shoulders and the chains and weapons clipped to charcoal shorts that were surprisingly comfortable and easy to wear. Her hair was woven into a waist length braid, complementing her daring roguish outfit. A prominent scar stood out on her heat-flushed ivory skin. For a moment, she absorbed herself in these thoughts of Sephiroth.

"Lex," Sephiroth said simply with no trace of emotion. The unnatural glint of silver and mako in his eyes complimented his silvery locks, brushing against his shoulders, belying his wretched heart. He was dressed in refined garb befitting his station. He was tawny and sturdily built. As Lex drew nearer, she caught a note of Sephiroth's familiar scent, the coppery tang of blood, iron, and steel. She smiled to herself. It always reminded her of the time they shared.

"Sephiroth. It's nice of you to show up on time," Lexi said, mirth flashing behind her unnaturally bright eyes.

"Since when do you care about punctuality?" he shot back.

"Since just now." Lexi gave him a quick kiss. "Besides, General, I almost outrank you." With that, they began to walk along the beach.

"How have you been, Sephiroth?" Lexi asked as they began their stroll together.

Sephiroth looked impassive as he replied, "The same as I've always been."

"Oh." She glanced awkwardly at him, fidgeting with her fingers to pass the time. "... Not very well?" Sephiroth snorted, but didn't humor her with a proper response. She reached for Sephiroth's hand, but he pulled away.

"You," Sephiroth intoned in a low voice, "what is it that you want from me? What could you possibly see in a monster like me?"

That stopped her in her tracks. "Sephiroth!" She admonished. "I love you! And you're not a monster. Don't listen to anyone who says otherwise." She reached out again and he glanced behind them before taking it.

"I just thought... I'd let you know. That I'm here to listen. I know you've been through so much." Sephiroth angled his body away slightly, but still clutched her hand in his.

"Sephiroth... you were there for me. Back when I was first trying to live on my own terms. You didn't turn me in when I first joined soldier as Lex. You kept my secret even though you knew I wasn't a man. You worked harder than anyone to give me a real shot. And you have always, always protected me. I... I've never forgotten that. No matter how much you push me away."

Sephiroth resumed their walking in silence. A bitter wind lashed against his cheek. "It wasn't for you." he murmured.

"I don't care," she shouted over the wind and crash of the waves against the rocky shore. "If it was only because you wanted me for yourself, wanted to keep me here because of a crush formed when we were children, it's all felt the same to me! Don't you understand? I chose this. I chose you! I..."

"You chose to leave behind a place where you belonged to follow in your brother's footsteps. You had family who loved you! Friends who have missed you all this time! You had an entire life that you just threw away to learn to slaughter soldiers and civilians alike." Sephiroth accused, voice trembling slightly with emotion. "I will never understand you. And you will never understand me."

"Sephiroth," her voice dropped down to a cool whisper, "I understand better than you know. I lost my parents, too! And my brother went awol and hasn't been seen since. I know you and Genesis were close. I know how it feels to lose people, too!"

"You ridiculous child," Sephiroth muttered. "Go back to your playpen. Let the rest of us, who know well enough the futility of optimism and togetherness, live in the real world."

"Child?!" She crossed her arms and sent a piercing glare in Sephiroth's direction. "You're the one who can't see past his own problems! If only you'd..."

"If only I'd what? What could I do that would make this hell better?" he taunted.

"If only you'd let me love you the way..." Lexi whispered. "Or do you even love me, Sephiroth? That's... that's all I've wanted, for you to let people care about you, let me care about you. That's why I chose you. Do you...?"

Her heart clenched and she could feel a lump forming in her throat as Sephiroth wordlessly turned his back on her and continued down the beach. Still, Lexi hastened her steps until she was back at Sephiroth's side.

After a few moments, they found themselves walking down the beach again, almost to the deserted pier. It seemed to Lexi that something had been bothering Sephiroth for the last few hours - or maybe longer than that. Sephiroth's eyes, dulled with melancholy, were cast down and away, focused upon nothing in particular.

Lexi really didn't want him to be troubled. She felt his pain as if it were her own. And really, she did understand some of what he was going through. While it was true she had some family, her parents were dead, her brother had gone missing, she'd spent two years pretending to be something she wasn't just to be in Soldier in the hopes of finding her brother.

Tilting her head so that the strands that had loosed themselves from her braid fluttered against her cheeks, she murmured, "Sephiroth... what's really going on? I'm tired of your bullshit. Like it or not, I'm not going anywhere. So just stop running and tell me already."

"Lex... it's, just..."

Lexi slipped both of her hands into his, gaze holding Sephiroth's, refusing to be pushed away or intimidated. "Sephiroth... I'll listen. You can trust me."

Sephiroth took a deep breath and wholeheartedly met Lexi's gaze, eyes too bright and brow furrowed as if in physical pain, whispering, "I... I keep remembering it... That day. There was so much blood. Lex, I can't help myself! I don't want to think about it... it burns. But even when I sleep, it comes back to me in my dreams. I can't forget, not for a moment... Not a moment's peace."

Lexi listened quietly and watched the pain flashing across his features as Sephiroth recounted his sorrows. At last, he finished, and a moment of silence passed between them.

Lexi didn't know much of the incident, but she knew what he was speaking of. After years of painful experimentation, Hojo had finally gone too far for Sephiroth. He created a serum that would give him incredible strength and senses, but would leave him with a nearly unquenchable thirst for blood. For lack of a better term, he was a man-made vampire.

The idea was to keep him confined and bring "prey" for him until he was settled and better able to control himself. But one night, he escaped. I found him in the church out in the slums three days later, covered in blood and holding the lifeless form of a young girl. She recognized the girl as Aerith, one of Cloud's friends.

They sat in the middle of the crumbling church, surrounded by flowers. Her braided hair was matted with blood, skin a sickly grey pallor. Her dress was stained a deep red in places. The room was littered with a dozen more bodies. Some she knew, but most she did not.

That day was the first time since they were children that Lexi had seen Sephiroth cry. She basically had to force him to leave the tiny church and come back to headquarters to sort things out. He just kept saying that he was sorry, that he didn't mean to, didn't want to. After that, it had taken nearly 6 weeks for him to recover enough to be back on light duty.

Sephiroth seemed so sorrowful and unsure. Lexi brought her head against his chest in reassurance, murmuring when he stiffened, "It's okay, you won't hurt me. I trust you, even if you don't trust yourself." She pulled back to look at him as she continued.

"Sephiroth... I... I don't know what it's like, to live with your worst memory haunting you... but... I'm sorry, Sephiroth. I know you didn't do any of that willfully. No one blames you but yourself. I wish... I wish I could help."

Sephiroth's eyes began to redden, and he abruptly pulled Lexi into a fierce embrace, fear of hurting her forgotten in the moment. Lexi's eyebrows briefly shot up in surprise, but then she too felt overwhelmed by emotion and succumbed to the warmth of Sephiroth's touch.

"You do enough. You do too much." Sephiroth whispered, his breath ruffling Lexi's bangs. "As long as you're here, I... I can make it." They held each other as tears trickled down cheeks and dripped onto the shifting sands to be carried away into the sea.

Lexi found herself hoping that, with time and reassurances, their pain would dissipate into nothing more than a bad memory, a mist swept out by the ocean breeze and into the setting sun.

They held one another in quiet companionship for a few moments, neither party willing to give up the comfort of their embrace just yet.

After a while, they parted and sat down in the warm sand, Sephiroth's arm around Lexi to shield her from the chilly ocean breeze. She rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes, and sighed contentedly.

"Mm. Sunset."

Lexi reluctantly opened her eyes at Sephiroth's words to look out at the water, painted glittering hues of orange, gold, and rose by the setting sun. "How beautiful."

After a moment of silence, Sephiroth spoke again, his tone holding a tone of bittersweet melancholy. "It seems fate has been kind to me... just this once. She brought you to me after all those years apart, and now..."

Lexi clasped Sephiroth's calloused hand in hers and murmured in response, "A love this true must be fated to be."

"Mm," Sephiroth sort of grunted. But when Lexi looked at him, she saw a glimmer of hope in his baleful mako eyes.

Lexi sighed with contentment and snuggled closer. She watched birds fly back to shore in the dying light of the falling sun, thinking about everything that had transpired on this day and all that would pass between them.

"I love you, Sephiroth. I think I always have."

"I love you too, Alexis Rhapsodos." Sephiroth Turned then, and lifted her chin to make their eyes meet. They stayed that way for what felt like forever, then, slowly she leaned in.

Their lips met finally. Wind swirled around them, loose strands of hair mixing and tangling in the breeze, shimmering in the last light of day. The sand was their witness and the rumbling ocean their approving audience. Finally, they were connected.

Childhood friends, fellow soldiers, new partners. At least she hoped that was what this meant. A new beginning for them. Lex thought to herself that there could be no better outcome than that.

When they parted, panting slightly, to look at one another again she got her answer. There was the slightest hint of a smile tugging at the edges of Sephiroth's mouth and his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners. There was no going back. Whatever they had to face, they would, together.


End file.
